''Automation'' is a

simulation video game Simulation video games are a diverse super-category of video games, generally designed to closely simulate real world activities. A simulation game attempts to copy various activities from real life in the form of a game for various purposes such ...

developed by Camshaft Software for Microsoft Windows that allows the player to create and run a virtual car company and design vehicles to sell. It is currently available via

Steam Steam is a substance containing water in the gas phase, and sometimes also an aerosol of liquid water droplets, or air. This may occur due to evaporation or due to boiling, where heat is applied until water reaches the enthalpy of vaporizat ...

Gameplay

The game, currently still in

early access Early access, also known as alpha access, alpha founding, paid alpha, or game preview, is a funding model in the video game industry by which consumers can purchase and play a game in the various pre-release development cycles, such as pre-alph ...

, allows for the design, creation, testing, and sale of various vehicle platforms and

drivetrain A drivetrain (also frequently spelled as drive train or sometimes drive-train) is the group of components that deliver mechanical power from the prime mover to the driven components. In automotive engineering, the drivetrain is the components ...

s. More features will become available closer to the official release date. There are three components to the game: engine design, car design, and a tycoon simulator. The engine design component was released first in order to drive demand for pre-orders and fund the development of the rest of the game. By April 2014, it had sold 10,000 pre-orders. In April 2015, pre-orders reached 25,000. Car design consists of a system involving a bare, featureless

car body Governments and private organizations have developed car classification schemes that are used for various purposes including regulation, description, and categorization of cars. The International Standard ISO 3833-1977 ''Road vehicles – Types ...

on which fixtures such as lights and grilles are placed. Upon placement, most fixtures will conform to the shape of the body. There is also a " 3D" placement mode which allows the user to place fixtures anywhere in 3D space, with the trade-off that these fixtures won't conform to the body.

Development

On 25 May 2017, the first version of ''Automation'' within

Unreal Engine Unreal Engine (UE) is a 3D computer graphics game engine developed by Epic Games, first showcased in the 1998 first-person shooter game '' Unreal''. Initially developed for PC first-person shooters, it has since been used in a variety of genr ...

4 was released as an

open beta A software release life cycle is the sum of the stages of development and maturity for a piece of computer software ranging from its initial development to its eventual release, and including updated versions of the released version to help impro ...

. It included a host of new content and features, including a more robust paint system, more

engine configuration The engine configuration describes the fundamental operating principles by which internal combustion engines are categorized. Piston engines are often categorized by their cylinder layout, valves and camshafts. Wankel engines are often categorize ...

s, and most importantly, a significant graphical update. The previous version of the game, built-in Camshaft Software's own Kee Engine, is

deprecated In several fields, especially computing, deprecation is the discouragement of use of some terminology, feature, design, or practice, typically because it has been superseded or is no longer considered efficient or safe, without completely removing ...

. On 13 July 2018, an option became available to export vehicles made in Automation to

BeamNG.drive ''BeamNG.drive'' is a vehicle simulation video game developed and published by Bremen-based video game developer BeamNG GmbH. The game features soft-body physics, which simulates realistic handling and damage to vehicles. The game was initial ...

as drivable vehicles. As of 9 November 2020, more options became available in terms of customisation. The "Light Campaign v4.1" update added "3D" fixture placement (wherein parts can be placed independently of the car body surface), as well as transparent windows and

lighting Lighting or illumination is the deliberate use of light to achieve practical or aesthetic effects. Lighting includes the use of both artificial light sources like lamps and light fixtures, as well as natural illumination by capturing dayli ...

controls. For the "Light Campaign v4.2" update, Camshaft aimed to further rework both the

business simulation Business simulation or corporate simulation is simulation used for business training, education or analysis. It can be scenario-based or Number, numeric-based. Most business simulations are used for business acumen training and development. Lear ...

aspect of the game and the way vehicles and engines are engineered. Additions included

balance shafts Balance shafts are used in piston engines to reduce vibration by cancelling out unbalanced dynamic forces. The counter balance shafts have eccentric weights and rotate in opposite direction to each other, which generates a net vertical force. T ...

and harmonic dampers, more

turbocharger In an internal combustion engine, a turbocharger (often called a turbo) is a forced induction device that is powered by the flow of exhaust gases. It uses this energy to compress the intake gas, forcing more air into the engine in order to pr ...

configurations, and the ability to engineer a better

weight distribution Weight distribution is the apportioning of weight within a vehicle, especially cars, airplanes, and trains. Typically, it is written in the form ''x''/''y'', where ''x'' is the percentage of weight in the front, and ''y'' is the percentage in the ...

into one's cars. On 22 December 2021, this update was released in an opt-in alpha form, with further work being done by Camshaft for a more stable release. The stable release occurred almost a year later on 8 December 2022, with additional features such as the "Advanced Trim Settings", which allow players to adjust the dimensions of the chassis, wheels, and engine to their liking, as well as hide certain components should they interfere with players' designs.

References

External links

* {{Official website, http://www.automationgame.com/ Construction and management simulation games Upcoming video games Early access video games Video games developed in New Zealand Windows games Windows-only games Unreal Engine games